Flash Forward
by incognitowrites
Summary: Going back to the beginning of 3x22. Elena chooses to give Damon the final goodbye. When Elena doesn't die on the bridge, how does her choice altar her friends, family and the person she love's future? A story about choice, sacrifice and love. (only Delena)
1. Chapter 1

_**HEY GUYS! So… new story. This one is a bit different, its vampire not human for one and it actually doesn't start at the beginning, it starts in the middle. I think this is a pretty action packed chapter especially for the first one so I hope you enjoy it, let me know what you think! Chapter one picks up from 3x22 when Matt and Elena are in the truck.**_

It all boiled down to choices. Choices are what define us. Choices are the only thing that separates me from Katherine. They set things in motion. My choice to drag Jeremy into the boy's bathroom ended with me meeting Stefan Salvatore, and over hundreds of thousands of meandering choices later, this is where I found myself. At a dead end because of the choices I made, and wondering where I would have been had I made the right choice.

"Got it Jer." Matt answered calmly into the phone despite what was happening.

"We have to go back." I breathed my entire head spinning. Alaric had staked Klaus. All of my friends are going to die. **Stefan and Damon are going to die.**

"We have to go back Matt!" I yell. But he isn't listening. His expression remains stoic. Why isn't he listening to me? Does he not get it? Making me leave town isn't going to make it any safer for me.

"Elena." He says composed, turning his head to look at me finally.

"What?" I ask exasperated.

"Damon's not, with them." He says quietly looking at the road.

"What?" I ask. As if things could get any worse, my head spun. I clutched on to the seat, riding out the wave of anxious vertigo.

"He's a hundred miles outta town. I can keep driving to him or I can turn around and go back to Stefan. It's your choice." He finishes with a frown.

A silent sob wracks my body as I sit in the dark car thinking how things got so messed up. What would the Elena from sophomore year say if I told her that this is what her life would be like, full of loss and pain, but full of love too? What would my mom say? What would Jenna want me to do? None of that mattered, because I had to choose.

Matt's blue eyes were hardened with emotion. Tough love I guess you could call it. My heart sank like it was dropped in the ocean. I clutched my head in between my hands and begged for an answer to be dictated to me. But no, I was the one so hell bent on having people let me make my own decisions. But this, this was unbearable. All I could feel was sadness, longing and grief but all of those were over powered by the urge of self-loathing I felt. I was with Stefan, I love Stefan. Why is it so hard to let go of Damon? I shouldn't have even thought twice before replying Stefan. But I didn't want to.

What kind of person does that make me when Matt asks me where I want to be, every part of me screams with Damon? I was always a girl who knew what she wanted; I would go after it at all costs. But I couldn't let myself want him, I couldn't. Because if I did the only thing separating me from her is a thin veil of humanity, a beating heart. I'm not Katherine, I couldn't let myself be.

Stefan was almost back to normalcy, he fought through it for me. He resisted compulsion for me, and after everything we went through he deserves closure, he deserves to die with the comfort that I chose him, he would remain unaware that as I held him I thought about Damon, that when I looked in his eyes I was thinking about two ocean ones, that when I kissed his lips that I would have given nearly anything to succumb to Damon's kiss and let him consume me whole like I almost had in Denver. But Stefan deserved to die in peace in confidence if he had to die tonight. But hadn't I done that already? I stood by his side, I was always here for him, if he was to die tonight he would do so happily, knowing that I loved him, he would be blissfully unaware. Even before he left tonight we said goodbye to one another.

But Damon, if I didn't go to Damon, he would die never knowing what it felt like to be loved back, never being chosen. He wouldn't die with the same security Stefan had, Damon would die alone, with no happy memories, or feelings. And after all he's done for me; I owe him that because... I have feelings for him. I love him, it's the strongest emotion I've ever felt, stronger than anything I've had with Stefan. It's been a long burn, from when we met to where we are now. And I know that he needed it, he needed me.

"So what is it Elena? I need you to tell me where I'm going." Matt said firmly. I wiped the hot tears from my cheeks and looked out the window thinking about him, Damon.

I had hurt him so much, it kills me. Nobody brings him pain like I do. And it's like I almost do it on purpose because it's easier to push him away from me than confront the real issue that I am completely in love with him. All he got from me was pain, more and more of it. And I could blame him for lashing out all I wanted but I did too.

"You need to drive faster if we are going to make it to Damon, Matt." I whisper almost imperceptibly. The truck picks up speed. My eyes shift right as I try to remember all the reasons I'm doing this. I love Stefan, I always will, he was my first. But I'm not in love with him. He didn't have what I needed, what I thirsted for unknowingly. Damon did, even when I had no idea what I wanted and needed, he did. He knew me better than anyone, he gave me a sense of security, I could always trust him and if he was going to die tonight, he deserved to die knowing someone chose him, even if it was just once. Stefan was different he had hundreds of happy moments he could reflect on, I had given Damon very little and taken so much in return.

"Are you sure Elena?"

"Yes." I say through gritted teeth. "Please drive faster Matt." I grabbed my phone out of my purse and quickly rolled through the contacts, my finger hovered above Stefan's name for a second before I pushed down and brought the phone to my ear.

"Elena? Where are you?" Stefan's concerned voice asks on the end of the line.

"I'm a few minutes out from Damon. Matt and I should be there soon." I said quietly. Squeezing my eyes shut waiting for a reaction.

"Oh. Okay." He hesitated slightly.

"How are you feeling?' I sniffled.

"Fine, I feel fine. It's just…" He trailed off.

"What Stefan? What is it?" I asked worried.

"It's Tyler Elena." He sighed.

"Is he okay?" I asked looking at Matt. He was staring back at me waiting for answers.

"No Elena he's not. Last Caroline saw of him he was, dying." He says regretfully.

I clap a hand over my mouth and begin to sob quietly. "Oh my god." I whisper.

"I'm sorry Elena. We haven't seen Alaric here... Call me when you get to Damon?" He asked, not skipping a beat.

"I'll keep you posted. Be safe Stefan." I whispered, shell shocked.

"You too Elena, no matter what happens I love you." I hung up. Because I couldn't say it, not when I was choosing his brother over him, it wasn't right and it wasn't true.

"Talk to me Elena. Please." Matt said his fingers tapping the steering wheel anxiously.

"It's Tyler. He's..." Dead. The childhood playmate I had known since the Gerber days, the high school douchebag, the trusted hybrid, our best friend.

"Damn it. Damn it damn it damn it." He slams the steering wheel, his voice cracking.

"Matt stop!" I shout as the car swerves on the road.

"This isn't how our lives were supposed to be Elena."

"I know Matt but you have to calm down. There's nothing we can do right now, we have to just keep going." I said through my tears, Matt's murderous expression calmed as he saw my anguish.

"It's okay Elena, we aren't going to lose anyone else tonight." He said squeezing my hand before returning it to the steering wheel and pressing the gas. We zoomed along the road for twenty more indescribably long minutes before we saw the sign for the storage place. Matt pulled in quickly, parking in the middle of the lot as we got out. I grabbed the wooden bullet loaded gun out of the glove compartment and put it in the waistband of my pants just to be safe. The place was silent, all but the sound of Matt and I's pounding footsteps in the hall.

"Matt take the first floor I'll take the second. Go." I said pushing away from him and running up the staircase. I put the phone to my ear and listened to the ring. Four rings and no answer, something's wrong. And that's when I heard it.

"You've even become the bane of my existence now Damon. Look at you. You know I'm still Alaric right?" His cold voice echoed down the hallway. I unconsciously shivered as I crept carefully down the hall, taking the gun from its place and holding it firmly.

"I still remember you sleeping with my wife, turning her into a vampire, you and your brother killing Jenna. And let's not forget what you did to an innocent family, ruined it. Because you were suffering so much missing your little bitch Katherine you had to use a seventeen year old girl as a replacement."

"Don't you dare talk about Elena that way." Damon growled protectively.

"You're right, Elena's a good girl. Stupid for mixing with you vampire's but good. But am I not right? You stole this girl's entire future! Have you no decency? No remorse? If you loved her so much you would have let her go."

"It's me Rick. It's me come on Rick fight it." He chokes out. I round the corner and slowly stalk, with the gun pointed at Rick. Rick is on top of Damon holding him down with one arm; the other hand is wrapped around the stake. Damon's pale unblemished skin is covered in blood; I feel my blood boil at the sight of him hurt. His arm hangs at an unnatural angle.

Imposter Rick cocks his head and smiles. "Sorry Damon. That Rick isn't home right now." Rick pushes his hand down and Damon fight's him off, grunting. Fighting against Rick. I pressed on the trigger and the sound of a gunshot echoed off of the walls. Rick flinched slightly before punching Damon and climbing off of him. He looked down at his side and dug his fingers into his skin, wincing as he pulled the bullet out.

Ricks head snaps to me.

"Speak of the devil Elena how are you? I was looking for you today at the hospital, thought we would go on a little guardian- daughter bonding vacation for a while. So imagine my surprise when you were gone, I just had to improvise. But I'm glad you are here, I knew you'd come."

"How'd you know?" My eyes flickered to Damon's whose were looking up at me tortured and in so much pain.

"Fifty fifty shot I guess. I took a gamble, and it seems it paid off. Tell me, why did you choose to come for Damon? You know Klaus is dead; their bloodline should be dying off any minute now. So, why did you come here instead of spending the end with Stefan? I'm curious." Damon shook his head at me, begging me not to do anything.

"Klaus didn't turn their bloodline. Those of his line are already dead. Whatever you are going to do, just do it Rick." I shout at him, keeping an eye on Damon and one on Rick who's circling me like a vulture.

"Hmm. In just a moment…Care to add anything on how vampires have ruined your life before I kill him or have I covered it all?" Rick asked smiling deviously. There was only one way out of this, one thing I could bargain with. Myself.

"Let him go Rick. Don't touch him." I begged.

"And why would I do that?"

"Because I'll go with you, if you leave everyone I love alone. Kill all the vampires in the world, I don't care. But you leave the rest of the originals, Caroline, Stefan and Damon alone. I'll go with you everywhere, I don't care just let them live. "I seethe, because angry is the only thing keeping me together. I try and block out the painful look Damon is sending me.

"Elena don't." Damon begs. I flinch from his tone but I stare straight ahead at Rick, waiting.

"Hmm. The thing is Elena; I'm going to take you one way or another. So I might as well finish the job. You don't have anything to offer, that I'm not already going to take." He circles back to Damon and kicks him in the ribs. I hear a sickening crunch as Damon groans and pushes away from Rick. I felt my own heart break at seeing him in pain, I wanted nothing more than to get him out of here.

"Elena get out of here. Go." Damon wheezes out before ricks boot slams down on his throat. His perfect face scrunched up in pain and I run up to him. My hands cup his cheeks and I look down at him.

Rick tosses his head back and laughs as he walks away from Damon. I pull his battered body closer to me and rest his head on my lap, whispering his name.

"Hey. Hey. Damon. I'm not going to leave you. Come on." I say, lightly slapping the side of his face. His eyes barely open, the life is drained from them. I needed him to be safe, I needed him to keep on living forever, break a bunch of women's hearts, drink cases of Bourbon, and drink sorority girl's blood. I needed him to keep on living. And for some reason, it all clicked in my mind, looking at Damon. I knew what my insurance policy would be.

"Elena." He whispered. I looked down at him, his beautiful face covered in gashes and his skin ashy. I wanted him to help me in what I had to do, but I know he wouldn't give it to me. I had to do this without him. So before I could think of anything else my hand found the back pocket of my jeans where my car keys were.

"Alright Elena your time is up. It's time for Damon to die." Rick said approaching us slowly. Damon's pained blue eyes flicked up to mine.

"I'm sorry." I whisper as my hand flips open the Swiss army knife on my keychain and I push it into Damon's arm as hard as I can. He winces in pain, but I can't waste any time, I pull it out and throw it on the ground, quickly pressing my mouth to Damon's open wound and sucking feverishly. I'm revolted by myself and what I am doing but it's the only way I can ensure Alaric does what I want, it gives me the high hand. The blood gives me the control.

I hear Damon's protests and Alaric's scream. But I suck, more and more or the hot metallic tasting blood and swallow it. Revolted, I only barely manage to keep the blood down. I do my best to remember it's Damon's and I've had it before and he's had mine, and it eases me a little, but not enough to make what I'm doing okay. Tears are coming now, hot and thick down my face, dripping on Damon but I don't care. I push myself away from Damon's arm and look up at Rick. I can't help but feel a little impressed with myself when I see Damon's shocked expression even Alaric's, I out smarted the diabolical.

"What the hell have you done Elena?" Damon's voice rasped from behind me. My hand shakily raises the gun and I press it against my temple.

Rick stops in his tracks with his eyes wide. The thick blood drips from my chin in a puddle on the floor as Rick watches me with his jaw set. He's looking at me like he could kill me, but he can't. Because if I die, he dies.

"Here's my counter offer." I say, my chest heaving. "I just ingested enough Vampire blood to come back to life if I decide to pull the trigger. Now either you take me now, leave the stake with Damon and we'll go. Or you stay, try to kill the people I love, and I shoot myself right now. We're past negotiations Rick. Pick." I say coldly, clicking back the safety. Rick cocked his head at me before tossing his head back and shockingly enough laughed.

My eyes flickered to Damon who was looking at me shaking his head, his blue eyes clouded with tears.

"Don't. Elena don't." He whispered, pleading.

"I have to tell you Elena, the old Rick would be proud. Very Indiana Jones of you. I like your style,, and when you put it like that it seems I have no other choice. Or the allusion of choice it seems. Let's go." He said smirking at me.

"Fine. First you leave the stake." I said coldly, pointing to it in his hand. He rolled his eyes and laughed at me.

"Well Elena that's just stupid now. Why would I do that?" he asks.

"Well it's the stake or your life, you choose." I bated. _Come on you bastard. Take the bait. _I thought, there was nothing less I wanted in the world than to be a vampire, but if it was going to come down to me or the people I love, the man I love laying on the floor staring at me, I would choose them, him, every time. The muscle in his jaw ticked and he clenched it tightly shut, the stake clambered to the floor.

"Now give me your word." I say shaking the gun that is still pointed at my head.

"No. I'm calling your bluff." He smirked. "Your friends are as good as dead, why does it even matter?"

"Because as long as they are alive, I'm going to fight for them." I said and took a deep breath, lowering the gun and squeezing my eyes shut. I pointed the gun at my leg pulled the trigger again. I collapsed on the floor in a heap as I gasped, trying to fight through the searing pain, that was almost as bad as being bitten. I watched as a patch of crimson stained my denim jeans. I cry out in pain, one hand clutching my thigh while the other held the gun to my head. The length's I went to for my friends' protection weren't a bluff, now he had just pissed me off.

"Elena!" Damon screams.

"Give me your word!" I shout, tears rolling down my face. My opposite hand pushing down on the wound applying pressure.

"OKAY! Stop! Okay! Put down the gun Elena." Rick practically begged. I slumped on the floor and ripped my jeans off around the hole in my thigh. I pulled the hand away that was keeping pressure on the wound and looked at it. It was doused in crimson, but I was past the point of caring. I grabbed the stake with my bloody hand and slid it along the concrete floor to where it landed beside Damon.

"You." I said pointing to Rick,"Stay where you are." I said as I slid my way over to Damon.

"Elena what are you doing?" he asks me, his eyes filled with tears. I had hurt him again, all I did was hurt him it seemed. And nothing I could do in the short moments I had left with him could offer any kind of redemption.

"Protecting you." I say stoking the side of his face. And I know it for sure now. I thought I loved him in the car, but now I know it for sure. Because I was giving up my human life for his eternal one and I was at peace with it, that's how I knew. His eyebrows creased as he looked up at me, he was so weak, so injured and too busy caring about me and I couldn't help it.

"I chose you tonight Damon, remember that. I'm doing this for you. I need you to promise me, you won't come looking for me." I say, tears running freely now. He shakes his head.

"No Elena." He answered. Looking so tormented, so god damn tormented and upset, like his heart has been ripped out.

"Damon please. Be safe. Take care of Jeremy." My voice shakes. I lowered my head and pressed the softest kiss to his lips, brushing his soft skin. The most bittersweet goodbye, because I had finally found the love I had always dreamt of, but I can never have it. If everything went to plan I would never see my friends again, I would never see Stefan, Caroline, Bonnie, Jeremy or Damon ever again. I was doing this for them. And knowing all too well I would never have the opportunity to deliver the line properly to him, I said it.

"I love you." I breathe, not even a whisper before as quickly as my leg would let me, I stood upright only to tumble into Rick's hands, I felt the darkness nipping at the edges of my consciousness but I willed myself to fight it.

"Let's go." I told Rick as I slid out of his grasp and out the doors of the facility, limping wildly to try to get away as fast as I could before I ran back to him. I left him there, bleeding on the floor, by himself. My only hope was that Matt would find him and call someone.

I slid into the black car across the back seat to keep my distance from Rick and slammed the door behind me. I closed my eyes tightly and tried to ignore the throbbing in my leg, even the vampire blood in my system couldn't work that quickly. Tears fell like rain as the magnitude of what I'm doing set in. I covered my mouth with my hand trying to stifle a sob but it didn't work. My strangled cry hung in the silence of the car as Rick drove off to god knows where.

"Elena." He said quietly.

"What? What could you possibly have to say?" I shout at him, sobbing uncontrollably.

"You did the right thing." He said and handed me back a pocket knife and a small first aid kit from the glove compartment. I laughed humorlessly and flicked the light on above me. Nothing about what I did was right.

"You're the biggest hypocrite of them all Rick you know that? You said you wanted a life for me away from vampires and yet here I am with you. You said I should live a normal life, how is this normal?" I asked angrily as I sterilized the knife. I needed to get this bitch of a bullet out, not one of my finer plans.

I pushed it into the wound slightly. I let out a small hiss. I dug the tip of the knife deeper into the wound and let out a small cry. I took a deep breath before pulling up on the knife sharply and the bullet popped out. I let out a small yelp and waited for the searing pain to pass over me, it didn't.

"You okay back there?" Rick asked anxiously, probably worried I was going to knick my femoral artery and end us both.

"Don't pretend to care." I said and wrapped my leg tightly with cotton and taped it off. _What the fuck have I done? _ I think as we speed past road signs. All I can hope is that Damon listens to me and doesn't try to find me, but I know better than that. He won't stop searching. But he has the one weapon that can kill any vampire, and nobody knows he has it. I tried my best to get the picture of him begging me not to go with Rick out of my head.

The darkness was closing in on me and this time, I didn't fight it, I let the unconsciousness consume me.


	2. CSI Mystic Falls

I wish it was possible to snap your own neck. I would do anything to just have my mind be blank for a few minutes, a few minutes of just being unaware of all the shit that's going on around me, all the emotion, everything just gone for a few minutes. However considering the angle my arm was at right now I didn't think it would be possible.

My mind raced to comprehend what had gone on. She chose...me. I was getting the last goodbye. A strange warmth filled me as I thought of finally being chosen by the woman I would kill myself for. I was thinking of her as Alaric was beating me, I was thinking of her face and praying to see her again before my imminent death. And just like that as I was trying to fight Rick off once more, she was there. At first I thought I had died and someone I had snuck into heaven. But she stood with a scowl on her face and the gun pointed at Rick, the Elena in my dream's was relaxed and loving, in no danger. But there she was, the real Elena, as fierce and determined and as god damned stupid as always.

I still lay as the crippled mess I was on the floor, I need a few blood bags to get back to normal, but now I was just too weak. Emotionally and physically.

If her plan wasn't so risky and stupid, I would have been proud, it was genius really. Only, I knew how much Elena didn't want to be a vampire, and I also knew just as certain that she would have actually done it to protect us, she would become the thing she feared and hated most, for us. And for once, she wasn't here to be scolded for her stupid plan. She wasn't here to argue with me about why she's right. She isn't here at all.

Because that's just her nature, selflessness. I slammed my fist against the concrete. He'd taken her; and she'd gone with him, willingly. I pull my hand away from the disintegrated flooring and drag myself to the Camaro. My breaths were labored, and my head was spinning, I've never felt never felt more weak and more, out of control. I slumped against the cool metal and shut my eyes, still trying to understand everything.

_Elena chose me_. She stopped Rick, temporarily. But here's the shocking part. Elena wanted nothing more than to live a human life, so why risk the only thing she wants for her friends who were already dead if Klaus really was our sire?

I saw the look in her eyes as she whispered "sorry" and stabbed my arm, before I could even comprehend what she was doing she dropped her head to my arm, her hair fanning across my blood soaked chest. And I swear if I hadn't already lost so much blood, i would have enjoyed it. And when she pulled back, as shocked as I was, I felt a surge of pride. And just for a moment as I saw the blood smeared all over her chin, I indulged myself with the thought and image of her as a vampire. I could be next to her forever and it wouldn't be long enough. But that was but a pipe dream. She would never do it willingly. She's still human, and she isn't here. She gave herself over. I feel a hot tear escape my eye.

I saw it in her eyes as she pulled back from my arm, my blood dripping from her chin how much she hated it, loathed herself in that moment. And Alaric took the bait. Because betting his life on her ability to take her own was too risky. Elena was too smart. She made him give up the stake, the one weapon that could kill an original. She had given it to me, and nobody knew I had it. I shoved it in the waistband of my pants being extra careful not to sit on it.

I wipe the years that come fats now, the furious tears. I'm supposed to be her protector, in supposed to lay my life out for her, because I love her, and the thought of her not existing is too much. So why'd she do it? Why'd she take my place? Why did she lay everything she had on the line? What did this even mean? My head spun and spun before I got my wish, and everything went black.

There was some kind of strange scratching at the edge of my consciousness, like some kind of important thing I needed to do or say but this darkness and silence felt too good. And suddenly, it wasn't dark anymore, there was a bright screaming light in my eyes and they burned like hell. I thrashed slightly before sitting straight up. I'm alone in what looks like a cheap motel room, judging by sign for hourly rates and the scratchy bed cover. Everything comes rushing back to me, Rick, The stake, _Elena_.

I should be weaker than I feel, I should still be in the storage place, but here I am. Feeling strong and in a trashy motel. I fish in my pocket for my phone and quickly dial Stefan. I pace back and forth and check my watch; it's been fourteen hours since Elena's been gone. Fourteen hours I should have spent tracking them not sleeping. I ran my fingers through my hair nervously and kicked the TV set, sending it flying into the wall and crushing it into bits.

After a few rings Stefan's voice answered.

"Damon. You're up." He said in a monotone voice.

"Where are you?" I asked getting my jacket on and searching for my keys.

"Room next store." He answered and I hung up. Running next door. Before I have the chance to knock at the door, Jeremy's worried face opens the door looking like he's on the verge of tears. There are sounds of sobbing coming from inside the room. He leaves the door open and walks away dazed. How much do they know?

My gaze travels to one of the beds where Stefan is bent over his head in his hands. Next to him is a very much alive Tyler comforting a sobbing Caroline. It gets even better as I look to the next bed where Rebecca and even more alive Klaus are standing.

"What the hell is going on here? I saw you staked. You went on freaking fire." I said pointing to Klaus. He looks at me with a smirk.

"Bigger fish mate. Our precious doppelgänger is missing." He said scowling. My head ached from all the information shoved at me the past two days, how the fuck is he alive?

"No she's not. I know exactly where she is." I said, having seemed to caught everyone's attention. I need to get her back. I need to know she's safe.

"How would you know? Matt and her separated at the storage place." Stefan said, sounding exhausted. Running the spot between his eyebrows with his eyes shut closed.

"Because I was with her." I said and hung my head. Running my fingers through my hair as I paced in front of half of mystic falls who had cumulated in the small room.

"What?"

"I was with her. Rick staked him." I said pointing to Klaus.

"And then went after Rebecca who obviously got away. When he had no other chew toy, he used me. He was about to finish me off when Elena got there. Shot him with a wooden bullet to get his attention. Bought a little time, she tried to negotiate." I said emotionless, doing my best to leave out the grisly details and stick to the cliffs notes version.

"Negotiate with what?" Jeremy asks.

"Her life." I say quietly. The room stays silent as everyone stares up at me.

"I was too weak to stop her before I realized what she was doing." I said looking far off, reliving every expression that ran through her eyes, the most prominent being fear. I remember her hand grazing the skin of my face before she dug the knife into my arm.

"She stabbed me and drank my blood. She said if Alaric didn't agree to her terms she would shoot herself." I choked out. A collective gasp comes from a watery eyed Caroline who is wrapped in the wolf's arms and Jeremy.

"What were the terms?" Elijah's voice rang out, Jesus anyone else want to come out of the woodwork? Why were they even here?

"To leave us alone. Let us and the remaining originals live. Everyone else he's going after."

"And he took her?" Stefan's strangled voice asks. He looks so incredibly worried, sick to his stomach.

"Not initially. You know Elena, she likes to be dramatic. Shot herself in the leg to show she wasn't bluffing, and Rick took it. And they left. She went with him." I whispered.

"I can do a tracking spell." Bonnie said. "They can't have gone too far since last night, we'll find her."

"No you can't." I shook my head, staring at the floor.

"The hell I can't Damon. This is Elena, get over yourself. You aren't going to be the knight in shining armor "she said snarkily. Typical Bonnie, making my good intentions seem selfish.

"You think I don't know this is Elena? She got taken on my watch. She did what she did to protect us. So get off your high horse and listen to me. Ester cast some juju on him, he can't be tracked. Elena and Rick are linked by blood. You're not going to be able to track her." I dead panned, not even having the want or energy to be angry at Bonnie. Not when Elena was god knows where.

"We need to go after her." Jeremy whispered.

"The hell we do!" Rebecca said, completely unphased by the recent events. "I was going to kill her tonight any way, and I appreciate the self-sacrifice thing but I have better things to do than chase that worthless girl all over the planet." She said looking at her nails, and that's when I snapped.

I ran over and slammed Rebecca against the wall, my hands around her throat.

"Don't you dare talk about her like that. She just saved your pathetic eternal life by selling her mortal one. You're going to do what I tell you to do to get her back." I seethed before shoving myself away from her.

"Forgive her, she will assist us in looking for the girl." Elijah said, grasping onto Rebecca who just rolled her eyes.

"Now someone explain to me what the FUCK is going on right now!" I shouted looking around the room at the vampire/human motely we had surrounding us.

"Alaric outted us all to the council, we had police armed with wooden bullets at our doors. Mystic Falls isn't safe anymore." Stefan's tiered voice said, still not raising his head. "Bonnie cast a spell on Klaus. She shoved Klaus into Tyler's body and then switched them back afterwards, the witches are pissed at her and Klaus is the sire of our bloodline." Stefan continued, finally meeting my eyes. The life was drained out of his eyes; he looked like a man who had walked through hell and back.

"So now what?" Matt's quiet voice asked. I rolled my eyes.

"We're going to find Elena and find a way to kill Rick without killing Elena. We can't go home so we'll camp out here for a few days until I can pick up a trail." I say, my brain going into overdrive. I winced at the thought of where Elena was right now and what she was doing.

"Meanwhile human's and witch go back to town, gather everything you can carefully and any other necessities. Jeremy, go back to Elena's room and see if they went back. Check if anything is missing or not. Bring back her hairbrush and any other possession incase Bonnie can figure out some unlinking spell." I said dictating things, feeling a little bit better at least doing something.

"Someone needs to go out of town and stock up on some blood bags, we can't count on humans, they may be on vervain." I thought out loud pacing back and forth nervously. This whole situation was a fucking mess. The only thing keeping me together is that I knew she was safe, as long as her life was linked to Rick, Rick would do everything in his power to protect her.

Two hours later I found myself kicking an old standing in the last place I saw her. My fingers pinched the bridge of my nose as I tried to hold back the emotion's threatening to combust. Staring at the blood stained floor of the storage facility only made it worse, because I had failed her, I was too weak. I was nothing more than a liability that night. The woman I loved more than eternal life itself, lost her own freedom to live her life because I couldn't carry out my single purpose in this life, loving her, protecting her.

I walked over to the corner of the dark room where a glint of silver caught my eye, the pocketknife. The one she jabbed into my arm before drinking my blood. A shiver runs up my spine just remembering it, the disgust at herself I saw in her eyes. I pick it up and pocket it before slowly making my way to the middle of the room where the puddle of blood had dried.

I squat I front of the dried blood and run a hand across it and raise it to my nose, it is all mine thankfully. I wince as it comes rushing back to me, only this time, there is no pain distracting me. No, this time I see I only her. Her huge brown eyes worried for me, her small hand stroking the skin of my cheek, the way her heart was racing and how she nibbled nervously on her lip. The stupid irrational bravery streak she has, the swell of pride I had seeing her with my blood dripping from her perfect lips, something I had imagined since I had met her.

But clearer than anything, I heard the fear in her voice as she begged me not to follow her; I saw the hesitance in her eyes. I saw right through her, she was terrified.

Now here I was two days later no closer to finding her, and back at the scene of the crime. The gun was strewn on the floor, the handle covered in blood. I carefully pick it up and unload the wooden bullets on the floor and tuck the gun away. The sound of a gunshot and her pained scream have been replaying in my head on a constant loop of torture and right now is no different.

I shake my head trying to clear the sound but to no avail. I follow the path they took out of the building; the trail wasn't too hard to pick up, they hadn't even tried to hide it. There were drops of blood on the floor, I squatted and inhaled. It was hers.

I would know that scent anywhere. From all those summer nights when Stefan was god knows where, she spent with me. Those nights she'd fall asleep on the couch watching TV against my side, the smell of her hair, her skin, even her blood was so much more potent than most. Or when I decided screw it, and took her face in my hands and kissed those soft lips on her porch. How I heard her pulse racing. Sometimes I forget that I had actually tasted her blood, when the canine Lockwood sunk his canines into my arm. Not my proudest moment but still, nothing was more valuable to me than Elena.

I followed the trail of blood droplets down a stairwell before they disappeared. I doubled back to see if I missed anything, I hadn't, the trail vanished. I pushed the door open and stalked out into the parking lot where I smelled her blood again, a few more drops which led to an empty parking spot. The only thing littering the spot was Elena's phone, shattered into a hundred pieces.

I pick the salvageable pieces up and tuck them in my pocket. It had to be her doing this, Rick wouldn't care he would just kill us, Elena was putting special care into making sure we didn't find her.

My phone buzzed in my pocket and I quickly picked up.

"What Jeremy?" I asked, my nonexistent patience spent. I wasn't in the mood for dealing with petulant children.

"I think you better come to the house. " he said calmly. I had to hand it to the kid, he was holding it together better than I expected, maybe even better than me.

"Is it safe?" I asked making my way to the Camaro and sliding in.

"Yea. I guess Elena got Rick to call off the search party on you guys, Caroline's been walking around all day and she's been fine."

"Okay, I'll be there in an hour." I hung up and tossed my phone onto the seat that had quickly become hers. Through countless road trips, from alleged kidnappings to chasing my brother and Klaus all over the country, that seat had become hers, and with that in mind I pulled out onto the road thinking of her.

**ELENA POV:**

My head was throbbing, my leg ached a bit and I was resting up against something hard. My eyes cracked open only to be met by a backseat of a car. I gently rolled over and sat up, the car was empty. My head spun a little bit and my gaze automatically dropped to my leg, there was dried blood caked on my split open jeans and blood smeared all over my arms and hands but there was no wound. The bullet hole had closed like it had never been there before, _vampire blood_. I looked at the ignition quickly, but the keys were gone. And suddenly the backdoor opened, I jumped.

"You're conscious, good. Come inside." Alaric said carrying a duffle bag. I looked out the window and gasped. We were at my house.

"What are we doing here?" I asked, my tone clipped.

"Getting your things." He said just as curtly.

"Why?"

"Well you can hardly walk around in blood soaked jeans Elena." Alaric stated as we walked up the familiar pathway.

I giggled the doorknob but it was locked, I rang the doorbell hoping to god Jeremy wasn't home and didn't have to see my doing this. After a few seconds when nobody came to the door, I turned to Alaric and glared.

"I don't have my key." He rolled his eyes and kicked his leg, making the door come off of its hinges and crack in half. He raised an arm for me to go first. I stepped through the door jam, and turned on my heel with a smile. _Alaric hasn't been invited in. _He looked at me curiously before trying to step inside, his body was stopped by an invisible force. He huffed angrily.

"Invite me in." he growled.

"No. Jeremy still lives here, he needs to be protected." I said crossing my arms; glad I was going to win this battle. "I'll do what you want me to do, you just can't come in." I raised an eyebrow at him, inviting him to challenge me.

"Fine." He glared. "Go to your room, I'll meet you at the window." He growled before disappearing. I checked the door one more time before I ran into the kitchen and dug through the drawer, grabbing a piece of paper and a pen, folding it and sticking it in my pants. I jog up the stairs and fling open the door to my room. Everything looks the same from when I last saw it yesterday, but so much has changed since then. The last time I was in this room Stefan kissed me goodbye. I walked over to the window seat and pulled the blinds aside, unlocked it and slid the window up. Alaric was leaning against the tree trunk perched on a branch.

"Go get your stuff together." He said, not wasting anytime. I frowned straining my ears for any sounds; it was strange nobody was here. First thing I would do when someone went missing was go to their house. Especially with Bonnie under my belt, I would take a few possessions, a hair brush and anything else and whip up a quick tracking spell. I stopped dead in my tracks, I knew what I had to do.

Moving quickly, I took it and walked into bathroom, tossing it on the floor. I hurriedly took the piece of paper out of my jeans and scribbled on it.

_Jer,_

_I'm sorry. I'll be okay, tell Damon and Stefan not to come after me. I love you so much. I'm so proud of the person you've become Jer, continue to do the right thing. Promise me you'll get out of this life go to college, marry a nice girl, have some babies, live away from all this supernatural stuff, live a normal life. That's what mom and dad would have wanted. I love you so much Jeremy, if you need anything go to Stefan and Damon._

_I love you._

_Elena_

I wiped the tears from my eyes and placed it on the vanity where I know he'd see it before grabbing everything out of my drawer and shoving it in the duffle bag. When all of my makeup brushes, hairbrushes, toothbrushes and anything else that had any trace of DNA from the bathroom, I moved into my bedroom. I stripped the sheets and pillow cases from my bed, took the clothes from my hamper and any other significant possession and shoved it into Rick's bag. 

"What are you doing?" Alaric asks curiously.

"Getting rid of anything they can use. They have Bonnie after all" I said icily, continuing to shove things in bags and grabbing random clothes.

"You really don't want to be found huh?" He asks chuckling, his laugh is off. It has none of the humor or warmth that really Rick's did, it sounds hollow coming out of imposter Rick.

"I know my friends, more specifically I know Damon, and he won't stop looking for me. I need to get rid of anything they can use for a tracking spell." I said zipping up the bag full of things to be burned and tossing it out the window to Alaric.

"You forget Elena, I still have my memories. Why Elena? Why don't you want to be found? Are those abominations really worth it?" He said catching the bag.

"Because they are the people I care about and love, and all of their lives are more important to me than my own, if they get to live as long as I'm with you then that's how it should be. And I'm going to ignore the abomination comment because I'll just choke on the irony." I rolled my eyes.

"I'm still Alaric Elena, I still remember." He says quietly, I look up at him curiously.

"All of my memories of you are fond; I looked at you like my own daughter. With the exception of the vampires." He said flatly. This is what confused me, every so often I saw flashes of the real Rick, even just expressions that were so much the warm Rick I loved, but in an instant they were gone and it was replaced by the new douchey one. And it hurt like hell to see that, because it was only a reminder of the great man I had lost.

"Let's get one thing straight here Alaric. Just because you are playing nice with me doesn't change anything. You tried to kill Damon. You may remember things as Rick, but you will only ever be Alaric to me now, they aren't interchangeable." I said sourly and zipped up the last bag handing it to Rick out the window.

And with one more look around my barren and torn up room, I closed my door. That was probably the last time I would ever see it, my possessions, my family memories, Jeremy. All of it was as good as gone where I was headed. And I just couldn't help myself, I went to the small closet downstairs and grabbed my favorite photo album from it and clutched it against my chest. I walked to the front door of my house and with one final look back, stepped outside and slammed the door on my old life. Now there was only homeless Elena, live the rest of my life killing vampire's with a vampire friend imposter Elena. This is who I am now. Without another word, I slid into the back of the car and buckled my seatbelt. Holding the photo album against my chest as we quickly pulled away from the house. And finally it seemed to sink in; the tears fell freely now pattering softly against the leather cover.

For the hours after that I sat in silence, Rick not even daring or caring enough to try to talk to me, we only stopped when he smelled some kind of trail or when my stomach growled loud enough for him to hear. In one day we had passed through four states and showed no sign of slowing down.


	3. Bound by Blood

_**Sorry. I got caught up in enjoying my last few weeks of summer, I have school in less than three weeks.. Enjoy**_

At this point I was starting to think nothing else could go wrong, which is exactly the reason anything else possible did go wrong. I walked up to the Gilbert house and squeaked my way on the porch that held so many memories for me. The first real kiss we had was on this porch, and I wince as I walk by the exact spot I held her face in my hands and pressed my lips to hers. I was just rubbing salt in the wound reminiscing. So instead of indulging my masochistic tendencies I walk to the front door. I would have opened the door, but it was splintered into a million pieces on the ground. I carefully side step the pile, definitely not trying to get a splinter. I curiously examine the door frame, forced entry; I didn't see Jeremy capable of doing this or any other human. Must have been a vampire.

Inspect the door frame where the wood had crumbled under immense pressure and mutter "What the hell is this?" to myself. I hear a slight shuffling of feet as Jeremy walks from the kitchen with a grim look on his face carrying a piece of torn notebook paper. He doesn't answer me, he only shoves the paper in my hand.

I look at the crinkled paper curiously as I unfold it and smooth out the crease. My eyes skim over her neat handwriting and my heart clenches.

_Jer,_

_I'm sorry. I'll be okay, tell Damon and Stefan not to come after me. I love you so much. I'm so proud of the person you've become Jer, continue to do the right thing. Promise me you'll get out of this life go to college, marry a nice girl, have some babies, live away from all this supernatural stuff, live a normal life. That's what mom and dad would have wanted. I love you so much Jeremy, if you need anything go to Stefan and Damon._

_I love you._

_Elena_

She's really gone. "Damn it." I growled handing it back to him. She was covering all the bases. Her crushed phone was no accident, now this note. Jeremy was the most important thing in Elena's life, no doubt about it. Her brother's life was more important to her than her own, the fact that she left him with only this note said magnitudes.

She had said goodbye to Jeremy, for the rest of his life. This was no bluff, she was tying up every loose end imaginable, and Elena was dead set on disappearing forever.

"Did she leave anything else?" I frantically, walking by him into the kitchen. My eyes scour the place for any message, anything of hers.

"No. It was just this. She definitely didn't leave anything. Just wait till you see her room." Jeremy said quietly. His down trodden eyes staring at his feet and his hands fidgeting with the note in his hand.

I spun on my heel and led the way up the familiar stairs. I swung the door open and felt my heart drop. It was trashed. The room looked like a tornado had been around it. Only there were no traces of her left behind, I opened the drawers finding them completely empty. Her closet had next to nothing in it, she had even gone so far to take the sheets off of the bed. The pictures of her friends and family that were always stuffed in every available surface of her room were gone completely, leaving only discolorations on the wall and smudges on the mirrors. I had never seen a place where the light that is Elena lived, so completely dark.

I shook my head trying to fight off the memories, but they relentlessly came rushing in. The place I had told her I loved her and compelled her to forget only months ago was gone, along with any other compelled memory, she was scrubbed from the surface.

I was enraged; she was trying to shake me. Trying to get me to give up. I smirked slightly thinking of how she must have planned this out; she knew we would come here. She knew Bonnie would try a spell, she knew that if she wanted to stay hidden, her possessions must be gone. Even when she wasn't here her stubbornness was apparent. I couldn't help the small smile it brought on my lips; she has far too many possessions to have grabbed them all, I'll find something. This is going to come down to who is the most stubborn, and I have a hundred years on her, I'm obviously going to win.

I walked to the bathroom and went through her drawers and much to my dismay found absolutely nothing. I checked the shower only to find it spotless with the distinct scent of bleach hanging in the air. Even the shower drain was clean. I ran my hands through my hair as I walked back and forth in her room, punching my fists down on her night table with enough force for it to crumble under the pressure. Was nothing easy? She had stripped every piece of herself from the room. I should have known better than to think I'd get lucky and finding her would be easy, because I know it's going to be almost impossible. Harder than finding a needle in a hay stack, Katherine running around the planet, and Stefan and Klaus because she knew how I operated. She was right alongside me as I spoke about my tactics of tracking and she was too smart to not take that into account.

I walk over to mattress and collapse into it burying my head on it face down. It smelled like her and a rush of memories came back to me. Her falling asleep with me by her side, scaring the shit out of her in the morning, and when I was invited in, even then I knew she was something different, an original. Nobody could ever be as selfless as her; nobody could ever bring the light and warmth to my life like she could. There was no way in hell there was anyone more stubborn than her on the planet.

It seemed it would be a battle of the wills, she knew I wouldn't stop until I found her, but she was too God Damn stubborn to give up. It would come down to who wanted it more, and she was going to great lengths to cover her tracks. I would just have to match her stride for stride. And if there's one thing I know about Elena and I, it's that I'll always want her more than she wants me. So I got down on my knees and scoured the place, under the bed I looked for hair, anything she had left. I moved the furniture around and looked behind them, and that's where I found it. A simple thing really, but enough DNA that if Bonnie could find a spell that worked, we could find her. A hairband.

I tuck the small hair band in my pocket and can't help but to feel a small sense of accomplishment. My eyes glance around the unrecognizable room once more before I walk to the door and gently closing it. My phone rings in my pocket as Jeremy and I walk back down the stairs and out towards the front door.

"Sabrina the bitchy witch what you got?" I asked smirking, knowing it would piss her off to no end.

"Next time I see you I'm giving you an aneurism for that." She huffs but continues. "I think I found a tracking spell that might work in one of Luka's Grimoire's. I'm not sure if it will work with the spell Ester used on Alaric but it's worth a try." She said.

"Okay. Meet us at the motel, we're leaving now. Bring those books." For as much shit as I gave her, the girl almost always pulls through. Except for when she tries to kill me, which is…often.

"Okay." She responded.

"And Sabrina?" I asked.

"Yea?" She said in a take no shit voice.

"Thank you." I said quietly, I wouldn't be able to find Elena without her.

"I'm not doing it for you Damon, it's for Elena. But you're welcome." She said and hung up.

That was me being nice, bitch. I grabbed little Gilbert and walked through the nonexistent door. We walked out into the light msit that was coming down from the gray sky above us. Jeremy slid in the passenger side and we drove back to the motel in silence. I was never in the 'Baby Gilbert' fan club, he was always more trouble than he was worth but I got to hand it to the kid, he's gotten better. He's almost tolerable and even slightly valuable in finding Elena. My nonexistent heart aches at the thought of her. Wherever she is right now, I wish I was beside her.

The dark clouds looming above us start pouring down rain as we walk through the parking lot into the old sceevy room. I slam the door behind us and shake the rain out of my hair and take off my waterlogged jacket. The fabric of my clothing sticking to my body because of the rain.

The room was far less filled than the last time I was there, Stefan hadn't moved from the position I had left him in hours ago. Caroline however hadn't stopped moving and was flitting about the room dragging Tyler by the hand, arranging candle's for Bonnie. Little witchy herself was sitting at the small wooden table flipping through an ancient looking book carefully. Her eyes flick up to me and she stands up. However it appeared the Original Family was screwing things up elsewhere for the present.

"Did you guys find anything?" She asks hopeful. Stefan's head incline's in my direction but stays angled downwards.

"Very little." I say quietly. "She must have been taken back to the house at some point. The entire room was cleaned out, no bed sheets, no clothes, no hairbrushes, not even any hair in the bathroom. And whatever was left was doused in bleach. She's covering her tracks, big time." I say as I pull the small tie out of my pocket and place it on the wooden table in front of Bonnie. I reach into my back pocket and grab the pieces of shattered phone and place those in front of her as well. That would have to do well enough as possessions.

"Why is she doing this?" Stefan whispers almost imperceptibly, a human wouldn't have heard a thing.

"Because she's an idiot. Because she's trying to keep us, the vampire immortals, safe." I roll my eyes. "We're gonna find her Stefan. I promise." I say burning a hole in his hanged head. I've seen my brother's low points throughout the years. I've seen Ripper Stefan, Semi-Ripper Stefan, no emotion Stefan, Brooding Stefan, in love with Elena Stefan, but this was by far the mopiest so far. I was just as devastated as he was, she is my sole reason for breathing at this point, but at least I'm channeling it towards something positive. If Stefan couldn't breathe underwater I swear he would have drowned in his tears already.

"This will work." Bonnie said examining the items in front of her. Jeremy sits himself down in the chair next to her and watches her carefully. She places the two things in a bowl and closes her eyes and murmurs some kind of freaky ass juju. The candle flames flicker before burning out. Her face is scrunched up as if she's in pain before she opens them again not even a minute later.

"So?" I ask impatiently, I've had enough waiting around. I need to find her. This sitting around and waiting was killing me, I needed a lead.

"I can't do it. The witches are angry; I defied them when I switched Klaus back into his body. They won't let me channel them." Her voice shakes. Jeremy grabs her hand reassuringly.

Perfect. My only advantage was having a witch who seems to be shooting blanks these days, and I was banking on the fact that she could locate Elena. I stare out into the dreary parking lot and watch the tiny droplets of water hit the ground. I cock my head at the clouds.

"Witch, you can channel the elements can't you?" I ask, watching the water drip on the glass.

"Yes, why?" She asks curiously, her eyes meeting mine.

I smirk as I grab the edge of the dusty old curtains and tug them back, letting the gray light filter into the room. Jeremy's frown turns up into a smile as he looks at Bonnie.

"Do you think it will work?" he asks excitedly.

She shrugs and walks over to the window, carrying the bowl. She shoves it open and holds the bowl outside collecting a few drops of water that soak into Elena's things before muttering a few words. The candle's light before the flames jump up a few feet. It's working.

I pace quietly as I wait for Bonnie to finish, it's taking longer than usual and she seems to be struggling a little bit. Her eyebrows are creased in the middle as she grits her teeth.

"The spell…It is fighting me." She calls out in a shaky voice before muttering something unintelligible louder.

I smell it before I see it, a blood vessel opening as a small trickle of crimson blood travels out of her nose. Maybe I underestimated Ester's spell.

"Bonnie! Bonnie stop!" Jeremy yells, running over to her and shaking her form until her eyes open again, he guides her to the bed where she collapses on it, breathing heavily. Her green eyes flick to mine.

"I'm sorry." She breathes. "The spell was too strong, I couldn't, I...I…I" She stuttered. I frowned at her condition before telling her she didn't need to apologize. What would it take to do just a simple tracking spell? If a huge rainstorm wasn't enough power than what would be? And how far was witchy ready to take this if need be?

This is why I work by myself. I don't know anyone else's intentions and how far they plan on taking things. I can only count on myself, my brother and Elena these days. Unfortunately, Elena's gone, Stefan is channeling One Flew Over the Cuckoos' Nest, leaving only myself.

"The spell is too powerful, Ester was right, there's no way around this." She said lying back against the bed.

"There has to be doesn't there? There always has to be a loophole in magic! What happened to the balance of nature and all that shit? I don't really see Ester saying fuck the rule book and tossing it in the shredder." I comment.

There has to be a loophole. There was no way there wasn't, witches are nature's servants. Kinky, I know. And she's the original witch, she hated vampire's enough to kill her own kids, the woman thrived from loopholes. There had to be a way through, over or around this. For the sake of balance, anything that could be done had to be able to be undone. *Light bulb.*

"Is there a way to unlink them?" I ask.

"Don't you think she already would have done that if there was Damon? She's not stupid." Caroline comments snarkily. I roll my eyes at her and her incessant need for the upper hand. (Which she never gets.)

"I can't they're bound remember." Bonnie said weakly.

"So unbind them." I say like it's the simplest idea in the world, because it is. Just undo it. I settle back against the headboard of the bed.

"You can't just undo it." She rolls her eyes.

"Why not? Never say never Samantha." I smirk.

"Because, the spell is binded to them!" She said exclaims exasperated.

"What is the spell bound by?" Stefan's quiet voice rings out like an air horn, looks like he's finally taken himself out of self-imposed douchebag isolation.

"Blood."

"So? You said you knew how to unbind the moonstone, even though you didn't. Can't you channel Broom Hilda or something and destroy the binding?" I ask, grasping at straws.

"Technically yes, I could break the spell's bindings but I would need an excessive amount of power to do that, like a…"

"Full moon." Stefan said, his head finally rising. He got up from the edge of the bed and walked towards Bonnie.

"Exactly. Even then it's risky. That much power could…have some undesirable effects."

"What effects?" I ask.

"Elena could get…hurt. Or worse. It's going to be a risk. Both of them have each other's blood in their systems, even when they are unlinked, I don't think I'll have enough power to kill Rick. And I doubt the common stake would have any effect. And if they are linked I can't put a protection spell on just Elena, but then we run the risk of him killing her before she can get out if they aren't linked. It's just so…risky." She says as she bites on her lip. "I could do it, but there are just so many factors and possibilities."

I bit back the smirk that formed on my mouth, they were worried about a weapon, little did they know had the mother of all weapons laying underneath the driver's seat in my car.

"We can worry about killing the son of a bitch and ironing out the details later, let's just find them first." I said, trying to hold back my smile. When we found him, I could and will kill him, with his own god damn stake. I'll literally kill him by irony, how poetic.

"I could always bite him." Tyler shrugs. True, wolf boy might come in handy. And it's not like Klaus is selling blood like a lemonade stand.

"So theoretically if we had Alaric's blood we could unlink them?" Caroline asks looking at Bonnie.

"No. There are several other parts to the spell; we would need a whole bunch of rare materials that I didn't even know existed until the spirits told me. I would also need Alaric's blood and Elena's blood."

The wheels in my head turned as I tried to think of anything that had Elena or Rick's blood on it. I came up blank.

"So what you're saying is if we can find all your wako herbs and witchy woo-woo stuff and both of their blood, we can break the binding of the spell?" I ask.

"That's exactly what I'm saying." She says sitting up.

"What about Katherine?" Jeremy asked. "Do they have the same blood? They are family."

" I guess." Bonnies shrugged.

"But finding Katherine is going to be difficult enough, and even if we do, she wants to watch Elena die. She wouldn't help, especially if there's nothing in it for her. And I sure as hell am not going to be indebted to super vampire bitch for the rest of my life." I commented as I twirled the small tie from Elena's room between my fingers.

"We would need leverage." Jeremy said as he paced back and forth, the conversation taking a major toll on him.

"What though? Klaus already gave his word to Katherine, she isn't indebted to him, she's safe. She's not just going to come running to his beck and call. She got the hell out of dodge the second he let her go." I replied.

"I think our best course of action would be to go after Elena. Katherine's blood might work, it might not, they are ancestors but they also have different DNA combinations. But that means we would have to find Katherine, I think it would be better to go with Elena. Just to be safe."

"We need to find them then." I deadpan, stating the obvious.

"And how do you expect Bonnie to do that? You just saw, the tracking spell won't work?" Barbie asks.

"I don't expect Bonnie to do it. We do. The old fashioned way, manually. Anyone up for a road trip?" I ask humorlessly.

Road trips. I think of all the road trips Elena and I have taken together, and how this time she's the destination, only I don't know where I'm going yet.


End file.
